Dear Constituent,

 

I always try to ensure that my columns here in the Reporter aren’t too repetitive, but unfortunately sometimes circumstances force me to repeat myself. It was only four or five months ago that I used this column to encourage you all to formally submit your objections to the hugely damaging proposal before Stockport Council to massively extend the Bredbury Industrial Park into precious green belt.

 

Whilst the development would be on the Stockport side of the river, a lot of the negative impact will be felt here in Tameside. The new industrial units will take green space adjoining the Haughton Dale and Hulme’s Woods Local Nature Reserves in Denton and will naturally cause issues around air quality, noise pollution and our local wildlife, but there will also be a massive increase in traffic going down Stockport Road in Denton as HGVs coming to and from the new estate will have no other options due to a low bridge.

 

What is particularly frustrating about the plans is that there is absolutely no need to encroach on the green areas that we all enjoy so much when there are plenty of available brownfield sites across Greater Manchester that could be used instead. For instance, Tameside Council has pointed out that land is available at Ashton Moss that would work just as well as Bredbury, but without the destruction of precious green belt land.

 

The reason that I’m bringing this up again is that the developers of the Bredbury expansion, Quorum, have amended their application to fast-track two of the 25 proposed units. As a result of this, Stockport Council has re-opened the neighbourhood consultation (closing date: Saturday 7 March).

 

I believe that it’s vital that Stockport Council makes the decision based on the impact that the whole proposed site would have, and not just on the basis of these two units. If these two go ahead, the rest will surely follow and it would be a disaster for our Tame Valley.

 

It’s important that the voices of people here in Tameside aren’t ignored, just because the units themselves will go up across the border. I will always stand up for people in Tameside against these proposals and I hope you’ll join me. So thanks to all of those of you who took the time to submit your objections back in October – whether you did or not, I’d encourage you to contact Stockport Council Planning Services (planning application reference: DC/074399) to urge them once again to reject this disastrous proposal.

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To object, people should submit their comments formally by Saturday 7 March, quoting the planning application reference: DC/074399

By post: Stockport MBC, Planning Services, Stopford House, Piccadilly, Stockport SK1 3XE

Online via: http://planning.stockport.gov.uk/PlanningData-live/

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is encouraging aspiring astronauts and rocket scientists, aged 11-18 to compete in the UK’s largest youth rocket competition, the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge.

Last year team UK went on to beat the USA, France and Japan at the international final in Paris. The UK now looks to the next national champion to retain this international title on home turf at Farnborough International Airshow in July 2020. We are now on the lookout for our next champion which could be from Denton and Reddish.

UKRoC involves the design, build and launch of a model rocket with the aim of ensuring the ‘passenger’ – one raw egg – remains intact throughout the launch and landing. Weighing a maximum of 650 grams, the rocket must reach 800 feet with a specific target flight duration of 40-43 seconds. Rules governing the competition are altered every year to ensure old designs can’t be repeated.

Teams across the UK compete regionally to qualify for the national finals with the winners representing the UK in a fly-off against teams from the USA, Japan and France at the 2020 Farnborough International Airshow

UKRoC enables young people to gain practical insight into how science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects are used by the aerospace and space sectors which employ more than 160,000 people across the UK.

Andrew Gwynne said:

“The UK Youth Rocketry Challenge is a unique opportunity for young people to learn the key engineering and physics skills that could see them become the engineers and scientists of tomorrow.

 

“It’s a really fun learning exercise and I’d definitely encourage anyone who is interested in a career in engineering or physics to take part.

 

“I hope schools in Denton and Reddish take part – I’ll definitely be supporting them all the way!”

The deadline to register a team is 28 February 2020. Find out more: https://www.ukroc.com/

 

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is encouraging his constituents to take part in the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz to support their local pubs and great causes.

The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz is being held between 8-12 March and organisers PubAid hope that more than 1,500 pubs across the UK will take part, helping it reach its target of raising £250,000 for charity.

Every year, pubs across the UK raise more than £100 million for good causes and supported grassroots organisations to the tune of £40 million. Since the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz was launched in 2016, it has raised more than £750,000.

This year’s charity partner is Action Against Hunger, a charity which specialises in treating children facing life-threatening hunger. Pubs can choose to support Action Against Hunger or a charity of their choice.

Action Against Hunger specialises in treating young children facing malnutrition, a disease which is responsible for almost half (45 percent) of all deaths of children under 5. In fact, malnutrition causes more deaths of young children than Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV combined.

Those pubs choosing to support the charity will be helping to save the lives of children who are facing life-threatening hunger.

More than 1,000 pubs have already signed up to take part, including two in the Denton and Reddish constituency – Fletchers Arms in Denton and Fairfield Arms in Audenshaw.

Andrew Gwynne said:

“The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz is a really fun way of raising money for worthy causes, but is also a fantastic way of supporting our local pubs.

 

“I’d encourage everyone to head to a pub that’s taking part to get involved.”

Matt White, Director of Fundraising at Action Against Hunger UK said:

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as the charity partner for PubAid’s “World’s Biggest Pub Quiz.

 

“Climate change and conflict has seen global hunger levels grow for the third consecutive year. This is incredibly concerning when you factor in the fact that almost half of all deaths of babies and young children are as a result of malnutrition.

 

“This is something that we need to be talking about and where better place to start that conversation than down the pub.

 

“Here’s hoping that lots of pubs choose to support our mission. Every £1 raised for Action Against hunger will pay for a days-worth of treatment for a child facing life-threatening hunger.”